If you think it's bad now, you should have seen it when it was new... you couldn't even use a mount until you had finished all the story quests in the area (which meant you also had to be near the max level for that area).

The aetherytes all had higher (and different) levels associated with them so often even if you managed to get to one, you wouldn't initially be able to attune to it.

I lost track of the amount of time I spent trudging round Pagos on foot. It was not fun.

I'm not saying it's a walk in the park now, but compared to how it was... be glad they changed it at all!